Of Dragons and Assassins
by SweetLoveAngel2
Summary: Natsu used to believe mistakes could be forgiven, but that changed after joining a new guild to find the truth behind his past. They forced him to abandon his morals and embrace the beast that slumbers inside. Enter Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu's new target and the one attempting to tame him. Can she handle his heat or will he have to save her from himself? NaLu, Rated T (for now)
1. An Unexpected Encounter

**Hi, guys!**

 **I know it's been a while and I apologize for my absence. I know I already have four other stories I desperately need to update, but I'm kinda stuck with 'em.**

 **To be honest, I have a lot of stories (14 to be exact) of which the first few chapters are ready, but I haven't uploaded them yet. Whenever I get stuck with the ones that are already online, I work on the others. So yeah…**

 **Regarding my other FT stories, the chapters are in the making. I try to write in between sleeping, studying for my two resits (? Don't really know if I'm using the right word :p), and working my ass off at my summer job.**

 **I need to work in less than an hour, but I absolutely love my job! I just felt like sharing my joy with you guys by posting a new fic.**

 **Enjoy! Xxx ~Angel**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

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 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Of Dragons and Assassins – Chapter 1, An Unexpected Encounter**

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"Today's mission is a real prize. You should be happy I gave you this mission." The Master spoke to me, his piercing black eyes locked on mine. I was sitting in the hall of my guild, Black Dragon's Heart, looking up at the Master who was sitting on top of his throne.

He annoyed me.

I couldn't seem to understand him at all. It was like he had these layers that I couldn't breach. His mood swings were dangerous too, every time when I thought I got him figured out, he did the exact opposite, most of the time resulting in a beating for us.

"Why can't _we_ do this mission? It's obvious Natsu-san doesn't want to." The blonde idiot suddenly interrupted.

He annoyed me too.

I couldn't stand him, always being so confident and arrogant, but I couldn't really blame him. He was what girls would call 'hot'. I remember this one time when me and Sting were forced on a mission together and a couple of girls kept fussing over his body. ' _Oh, look at that muscled body of him. Oh, I love how he wears his vest open like that.'_ It just sickened me. Of course, Sting's ego grew more and more, making my own resentment for him grow as well.

"Let me and Rogue do this one." He said as he rose from his seat. I prepared myself. Even though I said that the Master could be unpredictable, I already knew what would happen next.

"Be quiet!" A mighty roar resounded through the room and, just as I had expected, a black energy beam was released at Sting, barely missing his neck. I swallowed, wondering if Master missed on purpose.

Gajeel started to snicker, making me glance his way. Sting wisely sat back down without another word. His face was hilarious and I couldn't help but follow Gajeel's example. When Sting heard us, he shot us a glare, making me grin even more. I knew for sure that he was dying to plant his fists in our faces right now and the fact that he couldn't was even more amusing.

Something in my mind suddenly clicked, though. If Sting did this job, I wouldn't have to. It was as simple as that.

"Master, why the hell do I need to go anyway? How big of an idiot Sting is, I'm sure he can't possibly screw this up." I stood up cautiously, my eyes fixed on Sting, but my senses on alert, watching and trying to anticipate the Master's reactions. Something distracted me, though, the feeling all too familiar as my stomach clenched in agony, reminding me of the sparse amount of food I had in my system. My eyes wandered around the room and finally settled on the fireplace to my left as I swallowed hard, trying not to drool.

Strangely enough, Sting hadn't made a comment about what I said just now, which meant he would probably pull a prank on me later. I sighed. I really wasn't in the mood for that.

"Because you're the youngest," My head snapped back around, my eyes firmly set on the Master's. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something about Wendy being the youngest, but refrained from doing so. "Also, our target's around your age. Tomorrow, there's going to be a big party at the target's mansions." I tried not to look irritated, but I was. I always got the spoiled little rich kids. Probably because Master knew how much I hated highborns. To be honest, though I didn't want anything to do with them. I didn't feel the need to interact with them nor did I want to get near them.

"Her father wants to connect more with the commoners surrounding his estate. This'll be the perfect opportunity to get the job done." I stared back, still hiding my irritation as I noticed the gleam in his eyes. I knew, just by looking at him, what he was about to say, though that was only because he allowed me to notice. The master was not one to easily reveal his motives or secrets, always having these fake expressions throwing me off. "The target must be eliminated on sight." And there you had it.

I was fully aware I was part of an assassins' guild, but it still struck a chord whenever I got assigned to eliminate someone, to murder someone. True, over the years, I had grown quite accustomed to it. Something inside me, however, was fighting against it, even though I didn't want to resist. A part of me also relished in the kills I made. The feral personality that always rose to the surface was something that I both loved and hated. I guess it was because I'm a Dragon Slayer that my body had the urge to want to taste blood, but I would never blame this on dad, I couldn't. No, this one was on me. The blood of all those people was my responsibility and mine alone.

I don't remember the first kill I made, though I do know it was unintentional, really. It was seven years ago, in the first year that I had joined the guild. The thirteen-year-old me of that time was a completely different person from the person that I am now. I was still innocent back then, but I was also blind. I couldn't see what a horrible place this world was that we're forced to live in. Even though I had left everything that I once held dear behind, I was still able to smile. That was my first mistake.

When I first joined this guild, I followed Laxus everywhere and I, in return, was followed by Wendy. I guess Laxus found me as annoying as I found Wendy, but I didn't realize it at the time. One night, Laxus left for a mission and of course, the stupid me of that time followed him.

I don't remember what events took place that night, but Laxus told me I had saved him that night, though I hardly believed it. He was an S-class mage after all and I was just a brat. Despite that, he kept on telling me I was the one who saved him so I guess I started to believe it too. After the 'incident' he told me I could join him on missions if I wanted. I was so happy, all of my other worries long forgotten, as long as I could stay by my brother's side.

My second, real mission was the assassination of a young girl. She had been stealing some valuable information and needed to be eliminated. I was thirteen at the time, I knew nothing about the world and back then I guess I cared too much, nearly getting myself and Wendy killed because of it. After that I learned it was best to not ask too many question. Laxus told me that it was best not to think about all the complicated stuff and let him deal with that. So I pushed my doubts and questions aside and became one of the seven puppets that danced to our Master's wishes.

The girl I had to kill was the only target I could clearly remember, though I don't know if that was because Laxus had let me read the report or because I really did remember myself. He had told me that we didn't always get second chances. It was either them or us. So I made a decision.

Whenever I thought about the people I had killed, the image of the surroundings was the first thing that popped into my head. Like that first time – the real, assigned first time – I remember how the walls were dripping red. How the white carpet on that mahogany floor looked like a canvas, the art painted with my victims' blood. The room or the surroundings were always the first thing that I remembered, after that, the details about the target started to fade in one by one. What he or she looked like, their age, name, even their smell.

Though, never the _actual_ deed. No, I never could remember the way my victims lost their lives, I only remember the aftermath, rooms or hallways becoming my own art.

Red. Another thing that I hated, but also loved.

' _Kill her on sight..'_ I swallowed again, trying to collect my voice to answer, but Gajeel beat me to it.

"You want him to kill her in that mansion full of witnesses? Isn't that a little messy?" Knowing myself, it would be. "I mean, normally with this kind of thing, we usually let Rogue sneak in or let Sting create a diversion. Sending Natsu into a mansion full of potential witnesses is asking for exposure."

Gajeel was right, this was really strange. Normally, Master would always yell at us not to blow our cover and here he was, telling me to just rip her head off in the middle of a ballroom. It didn't make any sense.

"I don't care where you do it, as long as she dies. This is a personal mission. She's a danger to us so she needs to die as soon as possible. If you do this for me, Natsu. I'll try to see if I can get some information about your parents when I leave for the Underground Meeting in four days."

I perked up at this. I would've done the job either way, but seeing as how Master was willing to give me this extra bonus, I couldn't help but get excited.

"Alright, I'm all fired up!" I grinned, fists ablaze and fire visible in my eyes.

"That's my boy." He stood up from his seat, already starting to walk away. "I put the information in your room." He probably knew from the start that I wouldn't refuse, or rather, he knew I couldn't. "You'll leave tomorrow." He turned back to face me. "Please try to behave. You don't want to blow your cover too quickly." He shut the door behind him as he entered his personal chamber, telling us we were dismissed.

I fell back down on the couch, waiting 'till everyone finally left. Silence. I grinned and immediately shot up from my seat, rushing towards the fireplace, but I stopped at the last minute. If Master noticed I ate the fire again… Damn that man! He would probably punish me again. As I thought about it a shudder ran over my body, remembering Cobra's torture-training I had to endure last time. No. I had to control myself. Well, that was easier said than done, but I was glad I at least managed to remember in time.

I heard footsteps behind me, already knowing it was Gajeel. Since I wasn't in the mood for a fight, I didn't even bother to look at him, but he stopped me nonetheless when I tried to walk past him.

"Oi! Do you really think you can do this alone? A dragon hunts best in its pack, you know that." Our eyes met. "There's a lot dependin' on ya. You sure you can handle it?"

He didn't need to remind me. I knew I couldn't screw this one up. "How hard can it be to kill a spoiled little girl? Don't worry 'bout it." I lazily crossed my hands in my neck and continued my way further up the stairs towards my bedroom.

As I opened the door I couldn't help but sigh when I noticed the state in which my room was in. Saying my room was a mess was an understatement. I knew I was really happy when I got to share my room with those other three, but now I regretted it so much. We each had a separate bed in one corner of the room – mine on the far left side, next to the bathroom door and the window. Across from mine was Gajeel's bed and Sting and Rogue's beds were closest to the door through which I had just entered. I lazily skimmed my eyes over all the mess and a blur of pink suddenly came into my line of vision. On Rogue's bed, to my left, sat Frosch.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" I asked the little green cat as I crouched before her, sitting at eye level. "I thought you and the rest of the Exceeds were with Wendy."

She looked at me for a moment before averting her eyes. "Frosch doesn't like to be separated from Rogue-kun. But please! Don't tell Master!" I saw her little body starting to shake as she choked the words out, eyes full of fear.

"I won't." I petted her head before I turned around. He would probably hurt her if he knew. I heard her utter a thank you which made me chuckle.

I then looked at my bed, preparing myself to try and reach it through all the mess. As expected I failed miserably, landing face first in a pile of dirty clothes. I cursed, igniting the stupid clothing and tossing it aside. I let out a deep breath as I finally reached my bed, snatching the file off it and flopping down.

 _Lucy Heartfilia_

 _Age: 17_

 _Gender: Female_

I stopped. "How come Master didn't see you when he brought the file over?" I looked up at Frosch in the opposite corner.

"Frosh pretended to be a stuffed animal between all the mess. And Master just threw the file from the door. He also said he would let you guys clean it with you mouths if he saw it like this again." Great. I made a mental note to tell those idiots to clean up when I'd leave tomorrow.

My attention was back at the file in my hands and I continued to read.

 _Hair: Blonde_

 _Eyes: Brown_

What a pain! They could've at least put in a picture Natsu didn't read the whole file: Layla Heartfilia: TERMINATED Layla was killed because of the dragons she was had brought over to kill Acnologia and because of the Gate of Destiny. -. Another sigh escaped my mouth, anger and irritation growing inside.

I reached under my pillow, looking for the box of matches that I had hidden there. Frosch looked up when I lit a match and put it in my mouth, but she didn't say anything about it. I skimmed through the pages really fast before I put the matches and the file under my pillow and got up.

"Gonna hit the shower for a bit." I said out loud, though I didn't really know why. Surprisingly, I got a reply from Frosch, telling me that training would end in ten minutes, which meant I still had ten quiet minutes for myself until those three returned.

I threw off my clothes and stepped into the warm stream of water. I turned the water to ice-cold because of my body temperature, which was naturally hotter than any normal human's. I liked my showers cold every now and then, that moment being one of them.

As the water domed down on my face, my mind started to wander to my mission.

So the target was the only daughter of the Heartfilia family, which meant she would be guarded by their army because she was their prized possession. I knew I probably shouldn't underestimate the guards since they were the best and strongest money could possibly buy, but I already knew they wouldn't stand a chance against me. Even though Master told me to kill her on sight, I thought it wouldn't be that hard to just snatch her away and do it somewhere quiet, maybe the woods or something.

The girl's mother wasn't important since she was already dead. The father wasn't even a mage so I didn't have to worry 'bout him either. What was his name again? J-Jude? Yeah, Jude Heartfilia. And then there was her, the spoiled little princess. She was nothing special either, just rich and snobbish like the rest of 'em. Though I did wonder what kind of danger she could possibly be for a Dragon Slayer's guild.

Not that I should've even concerned myself with that. I would just leave it to the Master.

If I remembered correctly, the brat's room was located on the.. First? First floor so it should be easy enough to find since her name would probably be painted on her door or something in pink frilly letters. Maybe she had a door with diamonds on it, just like that one spoiled brat Cobra told me about.

The file said I shouldn't get blinded by her beauty. As if she could be that beautiful. True, rich people tended to be hotter than normal people, but even if she was the most beautiful girl in the world, it wouldn't stop me from ending her spoiled highborn life. Besides, she wouldn't see me coming anyway. I would knock her out before she even knew what was happening. That way, I could also avoid any guards following me when I would take her out to the woods to finish her off.

…

But.. If she'd be unconscious, I wouldn't be able to hear her screams or feel her struggles.. I guess I'd just have to wait 'till she wakes up then. The thought crossed my mind to maybe thank Master later for this job; at least now I got to spill some innocent, young blood again. I couldn't help but grin at the thought, getting excited as I felt the adrenaline already rushing through my veins.

"Oi! Natsu! Cool it down a bit will ya!" I heard Gajeel yell from the other room, breaking off my train of thoughts. When I opened my eyes, I noticed how the entire bathroom was filled with steam. I guess I subconsciously rose my body temperature, making steam appear as the ice-cold water collided with my hot skin. I turned the water down and stepped out, drying myself by heating up my body before I put on my black boxers. A deep breath escaped my mouth. That idiot Gajeel. I was just thinking about something fun. It even made me smile again, but my smile soon disappeared as another thought entered my mind. What if she- No! I shook my head trying to rid my mind of the thought. I couldn't think about that! I couldn't sympathize with some stupid brat!

I opened the door and stepped into my room, seeing Gajeel getting into his bed. Sting and Rogue were already asleep and I suddenly felt the urge to slam the bathroom door really hard, but since I didn't want to hear their complaints, I controlled myself.

When I was finally able to reach my bed, exhaustion hit me and I instantly fell asleep.

* * *

The excitement that I had last night about this important mission had already faded and was now slowly being replaced by irritation and frustration. I was really pissed right now because Master gave me this mission at the last moment, just a day before that big party. I wouldn't be this mad if I could've just walked to the damn town, but of course the mission was in a town too far away to walk to. So here I was, currently dying inside of a stupid carriage. The damn thing didn't stop wobbling and I could feel my stomach flip with every motion.

I left really early this morning and everyone was probably still asleep so I left as quietly as I possibly could. I didn't want to wake Happy up to ask him to fly me over, a decision I regretted now. Having him fly me would've been faster, not to mention more comfortable. I often wondered how a small feline like himself could even hold my weight, the science just didn't make sense. Then again, I was not the type of person that thought too much about that kind of stuff.

I'm a Dragon Slayer and I was taught magic by the King of the Fire dragons. At the age of 5 I was already strong enough to demolish an entire mages' guild. Normal people could think about all that complicated stuff, but I didn't really needed to. I didn't need my brain; I only needed my powers. Not everyone had that luxury, though. Happy, who had his valiant heart trapped in a cat-body, wouldn't be able to afford it to think the way I did. I never thought about things, I always charged and dealt with the consequences later.

Wendy was the same. Even though she had powerful magic inside of her, granted by the Dragon of the Sky, Gandeeney, her fragile body could never handle these destructive Dragon Slayer powers. That's why I didn't want neither Happy nor Wendy involved with this kind of business. Truthfully, I wanted to keep them as far away from this life as possible, but they refused to leave me here all alone. I had to say that I was lucky that they had my back. They understood why I was living this dangerous life and they supported me with their entire being. In return I kept them safe. No matter what it would take.

I leaned against the side of the carriage as it started to shake violently, making my stomach turn once again. When we arrived I felt relief wash over me as the death vehicle came to a stop. But my body was still shaken up, making it impossible for me to move.

Suddenly, the door was pulled open from the outside and my body turned weightless for a moment before I made contact with the cobblestones beneath me. I glared at the damn rocks and I even had the urge to burn them to a crisp for making that carriage shake so much and treating my face with so much roughness.

I tried to move, but my body was still resisting. I heard someone sigh and I readied myself to send a death glare at the stupid charioteer, but to my surprise, it wasn't him that had sighed just a few seconds ago. When I turned my head to the other side to take a look at the origin of that sigh, I saw a glimpse of black and blonde before the air was pushed out of my lungs.

"What the..?!" The girl, who had just tripped over me, looked back at me, annoyance on her face. My mind started working when I took in her appearance. A young girl with blonde hair and brown eyes… I smirked. This couldn't get any easier.

"What're you smiling for! Can't you watch where you're lying!?" Her high-pitched voice yelled out, making my ears ring. I wanted to react, but I actually had no idea how to speak to a highborn girl. "A-are you alright?" She asked, this time a little softer as she crawled closer to me. I saw worry flash over her features before she turned her head towards the charioteer who had just called out to her.

"Miss, he just fell out of the carriage like that when I opened it. Is he alright? I really need to get to my next customer…" This pissed me off. He didn't even bother to check if I was ok. What kind of service was that!

"Oh, don't worry! I'll take care of him." Again, a smirk appeared on my face as I heard the words, but it vanished just as soon as the charioteer spoke again.

"Thank you so much, Miss! Oh and he had this with him." The charioteer quickly shoved _my_ file into the spoiled brat's hands and before I could grab him and burn him to a crisp, he drove away at such a speed, it left dust in its wake.

Panic took over me when I noticed that brat looking at my file, but I quickly calmed myself down. Even if she opened it, I would just have to kill her right here, with all these witnesses. It didn't even matter that there would be witnesses because I'd just kill them too. I felt adrenaline rush through my body at the mere thought of it. I stared at her. She seemed like a runner or screamer, maybe both. I hoped she wasn't a screamer. The last yelp she let out nearly made my ears explode.

But the girl surprised me when she laid down the file next to her feet and leaned closer to me and grabbed my hand to pull me up. "Can you stand?" I didn't give her a reply, the excitement I had felt moments before now replaced with a feeling I didn't quite understand. I didn't ponder on it any further, the mission at hand forcing me to put my game face on. I let my body go limp, making it harder for her to get me up while keeping in mind that this way, she'd be too tired to run away later.

She was standing before me now, leaning forward to touch her hand against my forehead. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked again.

I froze.

For a moment, she reminded me of Wendy. She had asked the same question with that same expression of concern on her face when she first met me.

This annoyed me. I couldn't have her look like Wendy! I quickly pulled my head back. "The hell do you care!" I snapped at her, making her back up.

I instantly regretted my outburst. God, I hoped she wasn't going to cry.

"You don't need to yell at me!" She finally countered, surprising me again.

Of course, a highborn would never let someone speak to them like that. I should've known she wasn't going to cry. I huffed at her as I took in the sight of her. Something made me doubt myself. Somehow, I couldn't help but think I got the wrong girl. Besides, I didn't even know what Lucy Heartfilia looked like so this girl could be the wrong brat.

To be honest, this girl looked more like a street kid, with the torn socks and dirty clothes.

"You're bleeding." I didn't even mean to say that out loud as I looked at her wound. And she was as shocked as I was to hear the words.

"W-what?" She stammered with a hoarse voice.

"Your knee, it's bleeding." I suddenly realized that I seemed concerned about her or something so I quickly corrected myself. "You must be a real idiot to fall and don't even notice you hurt yourself." I laughed, effectively making a vein pop on her head.

"Who's the idiot! I didn't have time to worry about my knee since you were laying there in the middle of the freaking road!" She let out while crossing her arms defensively in front of her chest.

"So what? You should've just left me there. It's not my fault you're so clumsy to fall down." I saw her clench her fists at my attitude.

"I fell over you! You're the clumsy one to just fall on the ground like that!"

"I didn't fall!" I defended myself, getting in her face, but she didn't back away, looking back at me with fierce eyes. Again, the doubt resurfaced. Was this really the right girl? I mean, it was not like Lucy Heartfilia was the only blonde girl in this town. "I can't handle transportation very well…"

As I realized I just told the enemy my weakness, my cheeks flared out of embarrassment and frustration. Why the hell was I telling her all this!

"T-then you shouldn't be riding them." Great, now she was looking at me as if I was some kind of idiot.. "You should just do like me and walk. It's cheaper, plus it's good for you."

I didn't know what to answer to that, but the fact that she walked everywhere, meant she didn't own a carriage. She even said it was cheaper, so she probably didn't have much money…

Great. It wasn't her. She wasn't the one I was looking for after all. I let out a sigh as I realized it.

"It's not that I had a choice in the matter, y'know. There's somewhere I need to be tonight and if I had walked, I wouldn't have made it." I finally answered her.

"Oh, so you're in a guild, right?" She said, making me freeze on the spot. I looked up at her, but her face didn't look like she knew something.

"So what if I am?" I turned away, my attitude startling her.

"It must be nice… I wish I could join a guild… You must have a lot of friends. You wouldn't believe what I'd give to be as free as you are…" I stared at her, not believing what I just heard. Was she delusional? I wasn't free. If anything, I was more chained down than anyone.

Suddenly I realized something, panic taking over. I frantically started to look around, searching for the file that was missing.

"Are you looking for this?" She held out the file in her small hand.

I snatched it away, making her flinch. "Did you read it?!" I spat at her.

"N-no," She composed herself, swallowing hard before speaking again. "I didn't. It's none of my business."

"You'd better not be lying…" I eyed her suspiciously.

"What? You'd have to kill me if I did?" She laughed, but I didn't find it amusing at all.

Silence ensued after that, making me feel a bit more uncomfortable. I glanced at her, small fingers fidgeting with the hem of her black miniskirt.

"It's just very important and I can't screw this one up." I finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

I didn't expect a reply from her, so her words surprised me. "You'll do fine." I looked up seeing a smile on her lips. I didn't understand her at all. Why was she so kind to a stranger? She totally let her guard down, too. She almost looked like she felt at ease. "What?" Her question pulled me back to our conversation.

"I don't understand you. How can you still be nice to me if all I've been doing was yell at you?" I voiced my thoughts before I even realized it.

She looked at me, confusion reflecting in her brown eyes for a moment before she astonished me again. "I like you." She simply stated, making me look at her as if she was mentally ill.

"What?" I didn't know what else to say. This girl was seriously weird.

Her face turned red. "N-no! Don't get me wrong!" She started to wave her hands in front of her. "I mean you're a nice… Well, not a _nice_ guy, but you're the first one to treat me like a normal person." Was she stupid?

She noticed my expression and turned away, not meeting my eyes anymore. I recognized the shame in her eyes. She was embarrassed, I could tell when her eyebrows knotted together and her grip on her skirt intensified.

"Aren't you a normal person then?" She looked up, surprised by my question.

"S-sort of…, but I don't get treated that way." She stared me down as if she was trying to look for something in my eyes.

"Then you should tell those people how you want them to treat you!" This girl annoyed me so much I couldn't keep my voice down. "If you want something, you should just make sure you get it!" This was basic knowledge. How could she not know how to stand up for herself?

"It's not that simple." She smiled, though her eyes held sadness and disappointment.

"Then you shouldn't complicate things." At my statement her whole face lit up, both with amazement and confusion.

"What's your name?" The question took me by surprise and I didn't even have time to think about giving her a false name because her staring eyes kept my mind from working properly.

"Natsu." I replied, though I cursed myself for not coming up with something better to say. I could've changed the subject. I could've asked her name in stea-

"I'm-" She cut off my train of thoughts, but didn't finish her sentence. The bells of the church were ringing in my ears as it struck three 'o clock. I saw her expression change and she instantly shot up from her seat. "God! He's going to kill me if I'm late! I'm sorry, but I really need to go!" Her skirt danced in the air, almost giving me a perfect view of her panties.

I definitely had the wrong brat. No highborn would walk around in a miniskirt.

"See you around, Natsu!" She waved goodbye. I didn't even have the chance to react, my mind overwhelmed by the sounds and smells that I hadn't noticed before. I watched her back disappear in the crowd, making me wonder what her name was.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. We probably wouldn't meet again since I wouldn't be in town anymore after tonight. I was only here for my mission.

It was only now that I noticed I had stood up, my hand reaching out to her disappearing back as if I wanted to tell her that. Maybe I should've said that before she ran off. I shook my head. What was I thinking? I wasn't even supposed to be seen in this town and now I had already gone and told her my name! I slapped myself on the forehead, thinking about my stupid action. I didn't know what had gotten into me. Maybe it was a result of that motion sickness. Or maybe it was just her. I couldn't help but notice the resemblance she held to Wendy.

"Hey Flamebrain!" I turned my head as the familiar nickname reached my ears and I instantly regretted turning around when I met with dark blue eyes.

"What're you doing here?" I definitely wasn't in the mood for this.

"Don't be like that, I thought we were friends." He grinned at me, but it just made me want to hit him even more.

"Gray, don't call us friends 'cause we're not. Not anymore."

"And whose fault is that? I'm not the one who left Fairy Tail." I clenched my fist as I heard the name, but I couldn't manage to say anything, nor did I have the right to talk about that guild. I didn't belong there anymore. I had a new family now – one that could kill us both if they saw me talking to Gray right now. A thought entered my mind that it wasn't safe to be talking like this in public, but I knew that Master trusted me. Well, enough to not send spies after me to check up on me. I took a deep breath before relaxing again.

"Who're you gonna kill?" My body froze at his question, but it didn't surprise me. He had been eying the file in my hand for a while now.

I flashed him a grin. "Wouldn't you like to know." I wanted to leave, I wasn't sure if I could continue this conversation without punching him in the face.

"Natsu, you know I don't approve of this kind of life and-"

"I don't care what you think about it! It's the only life I have! You don't even have the right to disapprove of this with your own perfect little life! Friends who stay by your side, a girlfriend and enough money to keep both yourself and her alive! You have no idea what I have to do to be able to have something like that! I don't have a family anymore that I need to fight for! This is my life now, go live your own and leave me the hell alone, Gray!" It took a lot of effort not to just punch him in the face right now and my hands were trembling while I tried to control myself.

"You had a family, but you threw us away." He turned and I felt my heart wrench as I watched my friend walk away.

For the second time today, I had the urge to call out. The urge to make them stop from leaving. But I couldn't. I didn't have that right. Not with the girl I had just met and not with Gray. I wasn't like them. They were part of a world I could never reach again, not with the things I had done.

I looked up to see Gray vanish in the growing crowd that had come to Magnolia. The noise and the people pulled me back to reality and I realized that it was time to get my head back in the game if I wanted to succeed tonight.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! Leave a review and tell me what you think!**

 **Fun detail: I originally wrote this entire story in Lucy's POV, but one day I suddenly had the urge to try something new and rewrote everything in Natsu's. :D**

 **If you all behave, I might throw in some scenes in her POV ;)**


	2. A Troublesome Party

**Hey guys!**

 **So yesterday when I was at a poolparty, believe it or not, I saw a shooting star! It might seem stupid, but I've never seen one, so I was squealing like a little girl, drawing all the attention to me…**

 **Despite that little embarrassing thing, I'm still very ecstatic about the star! (I even made a new fanfic about it :p) so here I am sharing my joy again!**

 **Here's the new chapter! Enjoy the read!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Of Dragons and Assassins – Chapter 2, A Troublesome Party**

* * *

"Lucy?" I saw dad enter my room just seconds after I had closed the window through which I had just snuck back in.

"Y-yeah, dad?" I cursed myself for panting. All that running had made my lungs burn in my chest and my legs feel like lead.

"Don't speak like that!" He howled, making me flinch. Normally, I could've easily made the switch from being myself to being the highborn daughter my dad wanted me to be, but today was just so hectic I completely forgot to put on my act. "There are some important people coming today and I don't want you to ruin it!" He said sternly, anger flashing in his eyes as he looked me over.

"Yes, father." I quickly straightened my back.

"And what are you wearing? Put some clothes on!" I swallowed, knowing all too well that my choice of attire didn't please him one bit. He often told me that my miniskirt was vulgar and that the color pink didn't suit me. I clenched the hem of my pink tank top between my fingers, remembering his insulting words. Mom used to love it when I wore pink and she had often told me I looked cute in it.

I shook my head, banning the memories from my mind.

"Yes, father." I looked down, not daring to meet his eyes. I was afraid he'd see me cry again and I couldn't let that happen again.

A shudder crept up my spine as I remembered the last time he had seen me cry. The mark on the back of my shoulder throbbing painfully at the memory.

"Don't dress too fancy." His harsh voice pulled me back to reality. "There'll be a lot of young ladies attending this party and I don't want you to draw all the attention away from them. Just wear something that won't make you stand out, there's no reason for any of them to look at you." The sharp words didn't even phase me anymore, having grown accustomed to his verbal abuse over the last nine years.

At first I had thought of wearing mom's dress, but that wouldn't be such a wise thing to do. How much I hated my father, I couldn't put him through that pain again. If he saw me in that dress he would either kill me or cry, though the latter was highly unlikely.

I can't blame him, though. Losing mom was hard on us all, but for him it was even worse. He lost the one person in this world he held dear. I loved mom with my entire being, but he loved her even more. I can't even imagine that kind of love.

"Get ready, the guests are arriving." I heard him say before the sound of the slamming door roughly tore me from my own little world and forced me into action.

I strode to my closet, opening it with a strong tug, the musty air hitting my face. I searched for something not too fancy, but also not too… Lucy-like. My own taste wasn't something I could wear in the higher classes. Father had made sure to point that out several times already.

All the dresses that hung in front of me were beautiful, but I didn't feel comfortable in them at all. First of all because I'd look absolutely stunning in them, something my father didn't like. Secondly because it made me feel caged, like a puppet on a string.

My hand brushed over the soft fabrics until I noticed the simple light blue dress hanging next to my Heart Kreuz collection. Levy's smiling face flashed in my head as I remembered her giving me this dress for my birthday.

I took it out, holding it in front of me as I stood in front of the big mirror. A smile crept up my face as I decided this would be perfect.

I didn't even bother to go into my bathroom when I started to undress, my black miniskirt dropped in a mess on the floor and my pink thank top discarded somewhere. I put the dress on, binding the two darker blue straps in my neck. The dress reached just above my knees, a length I felt comfortable enough with and wouldn't make my father angry. I donned it with simple dark blue heels and a dark blue ribbon in my hair as I pulled my long locks back in a high ponytail and let my bangs frame my face.

I looked myself over in the mirror one last time before I exited my room. I walked with a confident stride through the hallway and towards the top of the staircase that overviewed the big entrance hall below.

I paused, taking a few moments to calm my raging heartbeat as nervousness suddenly took over.

After a few deep breaths I descended the stairs, head held high as I skillfully walked down on my high heels.

When I reached the bottom a few guys had already spotted me and were eyeing me with lustful eyes. I gulped, hoping father hadn't noticed. I quickly turned my head, looking for my father in the growing crowd of people. I had to be by his side, even though he never voiced it out loud, I knew he wanted to watch over my every move.

For as long as I could remember things had always been like this – he greeting all the important people and me following him around as if I was his personal puppy on a leash.

I scanned the room with my eyes, finally finding my father standing at the entrance with a big crowd gathered around him. As I approached him, a fake smile on my face like he expected, my smile fell as I heard the commotion. I pushed through people, throwing apologies left and right and when I finally got close enough I could see what all the commotion was about. Pink hair caught my attention as I sucked in a breath.

* * *

"Who are you? Where's your invitation?" The blond man, Jude Heartfilia, yelled, the guards surrounding me as he jabbed his finger into my chest.

I tried to remain calm and not punch his head off. I racked my brain, trying to remember where I'd left that damn letter when realization hit me. I was supposed to get the invitation from Wendy before I left the guild. I cursed myself because I didn't want to wake her this morning because I had to leave really early.

"I.. Euhm.." I scratched the back of my head, trying to come up with something, but I felt uncomfortable with all these people staring me down. I wasn't used to drawing this much attention to myself because all my missions before had me sneaking around and be stealthy. This was uncharted territory for me and it freaked me out. "My invitation is…" I started, looking around for something or someone to help me when I saw her.

My eyes lit up instantly, after which a frown replaced my elated expression. What the hell was she doing here? Our eyes met, her brown ones looking almost apologetic for a moment. She tried to push through the crowd, holding a letter up in her tiny hand. My keen eyes instantly recognized the Heartfilia insignia on the light pink scented envelope, the twelve pointed star surrounded by the twelve zodiac signs decorating the wax seal.

"Natsu!" All heads turned to face the one who had just called out my name, my own head turning to look at the blonde.

"Who's this!" Jude questioned in a harsh voice.

"I-" She paused, finding her bearings before she spoke again, radiating much more confidence this time. "I invited him personally." Her words confused me, though. Who was this girl to invite me to a highborn party? We only met briefly this afternoon. She didn't know anything about me so why would she help me out? "He's a friend of mine." The questions that had been plaguing my mind were pushed aside by her statement, bewilderment now evident on my face.

She noticed my expression and she turned her eyes away from my wondering gaze.

"You don't have any friends." Jude Heartfilia then turned back to look at me, harsh, cold eyes staring me down suspiciously. He was ready to say more, but the blonde interrupted him, the same amount of coldness in her own voice.

"Well, father, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I do now." She said, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with her past Jude Heartfilia, past the guards and past the smothering crowd.

"What're you doing here, dressed like that?" She asked as she dragged me up the stairs. I couldn't speak, my brain connecting the dots. I opened my mouth when I came to the shocking realization, but I was interrupted when someone tugged on my sleeve, making me stop.

I turned around, forcing the blonde that was holding my other hand to a stop as well. "Natsu, you got in!" Brown eyes looked up at me with relief, her small hand still clutching the pink scented letter she had been waiving above her head before. "You forgot your invitation so Gajeel made me come bring it to you." She said in a small, apologetic voice.

"Thanks." I grinned, patting her head and accepting the letter she was now holding out to me. I leaned in, giving her a kiss on her cheek so I could whisper the question I had wanted to ask earlier. "How'd you get in?" I spoke in a hushed voice, knowing her dragon senses would definitely pick up on it even with all the background noises.

"Happy flew me over here and I snuck in through one of the windows upstairs." She smiled, making me realize they weren't asleep when I left and I could've easily asked Happy to fly me as well. A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered the death vehicle I had to ride in. "He's taking me home soon, so don't worry about me." She glanced behind me, looking at the blonde that was eyeing us curiously.

"Hello," She said as Wendy made eye contact, making the small Dragon Slayer jump in surprise. "what's your name? Are you a friend of Natsu's?" Wendy eyed me when the blonde mentioned my real name, but she didn't say anything about it, she just gave me a weird grin.

"Hi, I'm Wendy." She reached out her hand. "Wendy Marvell and I'm Natsu's sister." My body tensed up as Wendy revealed too much information about us. I wanted to stop her from saying more, but the blonde had already passed me and stepped down to shake Wendy's small hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Wendy." She smiled at her, both their brown eyes gleaming with joy.

"Please take care of my brother." Wendy curtsied as she grabbed her sky blue dress in her hands and made a bow. The blonde giggled at this, nodding her head.

"Of course! I'll treat every member of the Marvell family with the utmost care." She winked.

"Oh, Natsu isn't a Marvell." Wendy stated, making me want to tape her mouth shut. "He's a Dragneel." She grinned, eyeing me again. I wanted to say something to her about it. I wanted to yell at her, scold her, but she caught on to it so she quickly turned on her heels and descended the staircase. "I'll leave you two to whatever you were doing before I interrupted." She waived. "I'll see you later!" And then she disappeared into the crowd.

"You're a Dragneel?" The blonde looked as if she was in deep thought, her finger lightly tapping her lip.

I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs, forcing her to stop thinking. She quickly took the lead when we reached to top, dragging me through a long hallway until we came to a stop before a big white door. I looked around, trying to imprint the image of these surroundings into my brain for when I'd have to get out later, but the blonde suddenly pulled me inside her room and closed the door behind us.

"You draw too much attention to yourself, you know that?" She smiled, her hand in front of her mouth as soft giggles escaped her lips. My eyes widened at the sight of her, an image flashing in my mind of a girl with her face, surrounded by woods and jagged mountains. I shook my head, blinking a couple of times, but the image was gone.

The resemblance was terrifying, her long blonde hair, held back in a ponytail, exactly the same. Her brown eyes gleaming with confidence and bliss so much like the girl in my dreams.

Have we met before?

The question lingered on my lips, ready to be spoken, but was never voiced. I composed myself, pulling back the hand that had subconsciously reached out to her.

"That man was your father, right?" I changed the subject, stepping away from her. The smile that graced her face fell and an absent look appeared in her eyes.

"Yeah, though he doesn't act like it at all."

I looked her over, her frame looking so fragile right now, nothing like the girl I had mistaken her for a few moments ago.

My heart calmed down and I felt the nervousness dissipate as I felt more and more at ease.

"You're Lucy Heartfilia." My target. The one I needed to kill.

She looked up at me, both surprise and disappointment in her eyes. "You know me?" She looked away, her shoulders dropping as if she had hoped for something else.

I couldn't help but smirk at this development. This mission was getting easier by the minute.

I closed the distance between us, Lucy taking a step back at my action. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of me? I thought we were friends?" I pouted, making her face turn red.

"I-" She stammered. "Y-You're too close." She put her hands up against my chest. "I-I only said that because father wouldn't let you in! I-I know we haven't known each other long enough to be friends yet!" She pushed me away, avoiding my eyes.

I heard her heart hammering away in her chest and noticed the flushed cheeks that she desperately tried to hide, making the grin on my face reappear. Now I only had to get close enough and kill her.

She still didn't look at me, arms crossed over her chest. I stalked closer, my body temperature rising as I was readying myself to attack. I reached out, my fingers tense, but controlled as my senses were now on high alert.

* * *

A sudden explosion made the building shake and I stumbled on my feet as I tried to get my bearings.

I was yanked forward and before I knew it strong arms wrapped themselves around me and my face was buried in Natsu's chest, his hands warm against my skin as he protectively cradled my head and shoulder against his frame.

My heart stopped for a moment and I let myself be consumed by his warm embrace, but a voice pierced through the commotion downstairs and pulled me from my safe haven. "Give us your daughter and no one will die!"

My body moved before my mind could catch up, my hands pushing Natsu's protection away and my feet carrying me to the danger below.

Natsu called out to me, but all I could hear was a low beep ringing in my ears. I rushed through the hallway that had never seemed so long before. When I came to the overview at the top of the stairs I saw the situation, lungs ablaze and body on high alert.

"No." My father spoke calmly. "I won't just hand her over. She's mine and I don't like to give away what's mine." At this point Natsu had caught up to me, standing beside me as he looked me over. "Tell me how much you're willing to pay me." At this, Natsu's attention turned to my father.

"He's talking about you like you're…" Natsu looked at me, noticing my sad expression as he finished his sentence in a small voice. "…a possession." His eyes wandered back to the people that were attending Jude's party, but none reacted to the situation at hand. They stayed calm, abnormally calm as if this kind of thing was normal. Not even after Jude's statement had someone turned their head.

"He spoke like that about you in front of all these people and nobody's batting an eye." He scoffed. "No, they just don't care…" The resentment in his voice made me look at him, curious why he was the only one bothered by it. "Why are you letting him treat you like that?" His eyes were fierce as he asked me the question, his voice raised to the point where even the people below had heard the uproar.

"I'm just a possession in my father's eyes. When he gets the chance to sell me for a high price he won't hesitate to do so." I saw confusion flash through his eyes when I didn't directly answer his question.

I turned away. I saw a head of blue in the crowd, her small frame sneaking through the people so skilfully I couldn't avert my eyes from her, afraid I might lose sight of her. She took one of the men out from behind, the rest of them not even noticing her presence.

As I looked at her fearlessness I suddenly felt bad about myself. She had so much courage coursing inside that little body of hers and she took matters into her own hands. She didn't need a prince or a knight in shining armour to save her from the dragon. She slayed her own dragons.

"It's because I killed mom."

I didn't even give Natsu a chance to stop me, my feet carrying me down the familiar steps until I stood face to face with the man calling the shots, his dangerous eyes looking me over like I was some delicious dessert.

"It's me that you want, isn't it? I'll come quietly if you leave everyone alone." I said as I stared right back. My voice had never been so calm before.

I noticed Wendy from the corner of my eyes. Only two men remained, the one in front of me and the one guarding the door.

"What are you doing?!" My father's voice boomed, but I didn't avert my eyes from the man's in front of me. "Get upstairs and keep your mouth shut!" He yelled, but I ignored him, making his anger grow even more.

My father stepped forward and yanked me back by my hair. It hurt. It hurt a lot, my hands shooting up to get my long hair out of his grip as he pulled me to the ground.

"Lucy-san!" I heard Wendy yell as she turned her attention to me. My eyes widened as I saw her get knocked to the ground by the man that had been standing by the door. A scream left my mouth. I wanted to help her, but my father's iron grip stopped me from moving at all.

"Search for her guild mark!" I heard the leader yell. "I know I've seen that face before." I heard Wendy's clothing rip as he brutally attacked her.

My eyes locked with hers. She shot me a small smile before mouthing something I couldn't hear and she parted her lips, sucking in air, her brown eyes turning pink and her pupils going to slits before she released a mighty blast of wind from her mouth.

The leader jumped out of the way just in time, but now the gale was heading our way. I closed my eyes, readying myself for the impact that never came. The strong wind blew past me and pushed my father off me.

I didn't think, I just got to my feet and rushed forward to help her. My heels clacked on the marble floor as I frantically tried to get closer. Even though Wendy had proven to be a very powerful mage, she couldn't do anything with her hands held on her back as the man kept her down on the floor with his own weight.

I Lucy-kicked him off of her, knowing all too well that the man had had a pretty good view of my black lacy panties.

I kneeled down to help Wendy up, checking if she had any major injuries when that man's voice yelled out angrily.

"Enough!"

* * *

"It's because I killed mom." The words had me puzzled for a moment, though she didn't leave me time to contemplate her statement because she had yet again slipped through my fingers. I called out for her to wait, but she didn't hear me, her feet carrying her to the bottom of the stairs.

"It's me that you want, isn't it?" I'll come quietly if you leave everyone alone." She said in a calm voice, surprising me. I never would have thought she'd be able to handle herself in such a dangerous situation.

As Lucy stared the man down, Wendy kept on taking down the leader's accomplices. A grin appeared on my face, proud of my little sister kicking some ass.

I knew I said I never wanted her in the line of fire, but the sight right here was amazing. Her stealth and skills were flawless as if she was a natural, her dragon senses on high alert as she assessed the situation with the utmost care before she took down her prey.

I knew she never really was in any danger. The men standing below were no match for her. Wendy was the weakest member of our guild, her powers being more supportive than offensive, but she could handle them with ease.

"What are you doing?!" The voice startled Wendy, I noticed her hesitate for a moment. My eyes wandered back to Lucy and her father, my hands clenching automatically as I looked at the man. "Get upstairs and keep your mouth shut!" He yelled at his daughter, but she ignored him. She made a wise decision not to avert her eyes from the leader, though her father's anger levels rose dangerously.

I looked the leader over, something feeling way too familiar about him. I racked my brain, trying to remember where I had seen him before, but my thoughts were interrupted as Jude suddenly stepped forwards and pulled Lucy to the ground by her hair.

"Lucy-san!" I heard Wendy call out, her own concentration long gone and I watched as her take a hit. Lucy called out to her, but her father kept her down.

"Search for her guild mark! I know I've seen that face before." The leader suddenly said, turning his head to look at his accomplice. My eyes widened as I looked at the man's guild mark located in his neck. The guild mark of the four horses stirring up a memory I didn't like to remember.

I gritted my teeth. Wendy was in danger. Screw the mission. Screw the master. I needed to save my sister even if it meant releasing my destructive powers.

Wendy looked up at me, talking in a soft voice she knew I could hear. "Don't blow your cover for me." She then looked at Lucy. "Sky Dragon's…" She prepared herself to attack, releasing her roar in a fierce hurricane-like blast that freed Lucy from her father's restrictions.

"Sir," A voice stopped me from interfering. "you need to go now." A man said. I recognised the Heartfilia insignia on his armour as he spoke. "Don't worry, I'm a member of Heartfilia's personal guards."

"Then, shouldn't you be helping the princess out?" I asked, realizing that if this guard stepped in I wouldn't have to blow my cover.

"No need to worry about that child. If she gets herself killed, we'll finally be able to get some rest around here." I didn't know why I felt so angry, but I did and I released my fury on the guard as I punched him out cold with one hit.

What the hell was wrong with these people? Was I the only one in this house that cared about Lucy's wellbeing?

"Enough!" I watched as Marcus, the leader of the dark guild, Four Horsemen, lost his last bit of patience. He raised his hand, ready to strike with his signature move, Plagued Fist.

I moved before I could even think about the possible consequences of blowing my cover. I jumped down from the first floor, landing with ease on my nimble feet. I rushed forward and pushed Lucy aside, wanting to block the hit as I held up my right arm to protect my face and used my other hand to shield Lucy behind my body, but Marcus's attack never came.

"How dare you attack my master like that!" A blur of orange rushed past me and I watched in shock as Marcus suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony.

Lucy pulled me out of my daze when she pushed against my back, trying to get through. A lot of commotion followed after Marcus slumped to his knees and I used the distraction to my advantage. "Let's go!" I said, grabbing Lucy's wrist and dragging her towards the door.

I hadn't even sensed his presence, but before I knew it a young man blocked our way. "Let go of her!" I could easily block his punch, a smirk now on his face. "Finally, I get to have a decent fight." I grinned back, feeling excitement rush through my veins as I felt his magic power rise. My body heated up, forgetting about not blowing my cover as I readied myself for a good fight.

Lucy stepped forward, but I pushed her back behind me. The guy narrowed his eyes at this and I felt his magic spike. "Don't touch my master." His voice seemed calm, but I could pick up on the deadly threat. I quickly looked him over. His hazel eyes stared me down dangerously from behind azure-tinted sunglasses. I had noticed the sharp canines when he spoke, making me wonder if he was a Dragon Slayer as well, knowing all too well it was one of our signature traits.

"Loke," Lucy spoke up. "it's fine!" She stepped in between us, her back facing me as she placed her hands on the guy's chest, trying to calm him down. I eyed him, not liking the way she handled him so casually. "He's my friend!" Again, that statement made something stir inside of me.

How could she call me that? I was the one who was going to kidnap her in the first place. How could she trust me so easily, calling me her friend when I needed to kill her? My head was pounding.

"Natsu!" Lucy pulled me out of my thoughts when her hand wrapped itself around mine. I looked up, the guy she had called 'Loke' now nowhere to be seen. I looked around, searching for him, but I couldn't spot him. The commotion was now reaching its peak, the highborns that had seemed so indifferent before, now in complete panic mode.

"It's too dangerous here." I said, leaning in closer to her ear so she could hear me over the noise. "Come with me, I know where we can hide." I said as I pulled her along.

"No!" She struggled against my grip. "I'm not running away!" I didn't care what she was saying. It wasn't safe here. I knew Marcus and I knew what kind of power he possessed. If we didn't get out of here quickly, we'd be hit by one of his plagues and then we'd be even more in trouble.

I suddenly thought about Wendy when her scent reached my sensitive nose. I looked up, seeing Wendy stare down at me as Happy held her in his small paws. I opened my mouth, ready to ask her if she was alright when her voice reached my ears, telling me to run. I wanted to respond, but she gave me a wave and then Happy flew off.

"Natsu, you're hurting me." Lucy's voice pulled me back to reality, my hand instantly releasing the death grip I had on her wrist.

"S-sorry, Lucy," I apologized. "but we need to go."

"No! I can't! I'm not running away." She rubbed her sore wrist with her other hand, making guilt shoot trough me. I grabbed her wrist in my hand, rubbing my thumb over it soothingly.

She looked up at me, cheeks pink and her body suddenly tensing up. She stared into my eyes, her heart pounding so loudly it made my own heart follow her lead.

"Why can't you run away?" I asked, my voice calm as I continued rubbing circles on her inner wrist, feeling her pulse speed up.

"A promise…" She spoke in a soft voice, pulling her hand away from my touch and averted her eyes. She took a step back from me. "My father won't just let me leave. I don't have a choice. Even if I do manage to get out of here, I would be running for the rest of my life! He'll hunt me down and take away everything that I care about!" Tears were streaming down her face as her voice cracked. "So I won't run away again!" Sobs racked her body, her frame trembling on her feet.

"You want to be free from him, right? Then come with me!" I grinned, not even knowing what I was saying. She looked up at me, eyes wide and red from the crying. Before I knew it I had already thrown her over my shoulder and jumped over the fence.

I'm Natsu Dragneel an assassin of Black Dragon's Heart, a cold, ruthless killer. She was Lucy Heartfilia, my target, the one who needed to die and also the one I wanted to protect more than anything.

This was the start of a dangerous adventure.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it!**

 **Please leave a review and give me some feedback. I love to know what you guys think!**


	3. The Ones that Poison Us

**Hey guys!**

 **I know it's been a really long time and I apologize! Life just got in the way, I guess!**

 **First of all, I want to thank those that left a review on this story.**

 **To** **Lucia42** **: Your words really mean a lot to me! I can't even express my gratitude! I love getting reviews, but yours is truly heart-warming because I don't often get feedback on my writing style itself. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart! To add to this, I wanted to dedicate this chapter to you. I hope I keep up to your expectations!**

 **To** **fallingcinders** **and** **cutielove077** **: Thanks for leaving a supportive review. I hope you haven't forgotten about this story yet.**

 **Now secondly, I wanted to thank all those that favourited and followed this story while I was busy with not writing the next chapter :p**

 **WatcherOfStars** **,** **DiamondDustWriter** **,** **SakiNami** **,** **toshiro and sakura 4 ever** **, Fairytail-Juva,** **MarSofTheGalaxies** **,** **Gayres0918** **,** **cutielove077** **,** **Jazmin Gato** **and** **JcL107** **: Thanks for your trust in me and this story!**

 **Now, on with the story itself! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Chapter 3, The Ones that Poison Us**

* * *

"Put me down, you idiot!" Lucy's voice rang in my sensitive ears, making me almost drop her as she continued hitting me on the back.

"No," I answered, the urge to slap her butt to make her shut her mouth growing in me. "just a little further. Just stop complaining!"

All that noise was going to attract unwanted attention. This wasn't called the Hell's Gate Forest for nothing. Not only my guild, but many others had their base in this vast forest at the edge of Magnolia and it wasn't actually that far from Lucy's home town either. The trip to Lucy's mansion could have been a lot more comfortable and faster if I had asked Happy to fly me. He would've flown straight over this forest and we could've gotten there in an hour and a half if he'd flown at his top speed.

I was fully aware that I could've gone through this forest by foot as well, but I didn't want to deal with all the thugs and dark guild members along the way. Not that I couldn't handle them, it was just that I didn't want to bother with them. I cursed myself for being lazy, knowing it was my own fault that I had to ride that murderous thing.

"I'm not going to ask again!" Lucy threatened, but I paid it no heed. "Don't ignore me!" She pulled on my scarf, surprising me as the flow of air to my lungs suddenly got cut off, making me stop dead in my tracks. This time I really did want to drop her.

"This is actually a pretty nice scarf, Natsu." I changed my mind when the words reached my ears. Though, I told myself it was because her yelling would cause every dark guild member to come at us, which was something I truly wasn't in the mood for.

"I know." I said, bending down a bit so I could put her back on the ground. She wobbled a bit, not being used to standing on her feet after being carried for so long. She clutched my suit, the tip of my scarf still in her other hand. "You okay?" I asked, steadying her by her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, looking around. Her eyes skimmed our surroundings carefully, a serious expression on her face.

"Good, then I won't feel bad for hitting you when you touch my scarf again." She wasn't paying attention to me, her eyes roaming the place, looking around as if she had never seen a forest in her entire life. Her eyes met mine, confusion flashing through them for a moment.

"What?" I could see her breath as she spoke, noticing that it had really gotten colder over the course of the last couple of days. I looked her over, her classy blue dress – which wasn't stunningly gorgeous, should she ask – did not look like she had much protection against the upcoming wintery weather.

I stepped closer to her, suddenly feeling the urge to engulf her in my warmth. "Are you cold?" I voiced the question I was thinking, mentally hitting myself when she gave me a playful grin.

"Why? You'd give me your scarf if I said yes?" She wiggled the delicate fabric around her finger, making me remember our previous topic on the scarf again.

I leaned in closer, my warm breath fanning her cheek and I instantly heard her heart rate spike, making a grin appear on my own face. "Lucy," She shivered when I spoke her name, eyes expectantly looking up to mine. "Don't. Ever. Touch. _My_. Scarf."

I didn't mean to sound as possessive as it came out to be, but I couldn't contain the low growl I released. Her eyes widened and she immediately took a step back, releasing my precious scarf from her slender fingers.

She avoided eye contact after that and an awkward silence ensued. I watched her stumble around a bit when she suddenly looked up towards the sky, my own eyes following hers. The night was creeping in, pushing the warmth of the sun away and I suddenly realized we should try and get some shelter.

I was used to sleeping beneath the stars with only my bodyheat to keep me from freezing to death, but I wasn't alone this time. I glanced back at Lucy who was rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep the cold from engulfing her.

A determined look suddenly graced her face and she began to gather twigs and branches and piled them onto a big heap between us.

I watched her in amusement as she crouched down and tried to light the fire, which didn't quite work out for her. I snickered at her frustrated expression as she grumbled something incoherent to herself.

"What?!" Her head jerked up, fierce eyes looking straight at me. "You think you can do this better?" She snapped.

I grinned at her, loving the little pout that crept up her face after she looked away from my gaze.

"You know, Princess," She frowned when the nickname reached her ears. She looked at me from the corner of her eyes, watching my every move as I came closer. "lighting a fire isn't really such a good idea."

"And why is that, oh handsome Prince?" She let me take the two branches from her hands, eyebrows raised. "Afraid bad people will come and touch your precious scarf?" She mocked me in a childish voice.

I knew she was teasing me, but I couldn't just not defend myself. I tried to react as indifferent as I could, not wanting her to know the remark bothered me, but I failed miserably when my voice betrayed me. "I'm not afraid of anything!" I caught myself hollering at her.

She started to laugh, the top of her hand against her lips to try and stifle the giggles.

I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks flare up slightly in embarrassment. "I'm not afraid." I said in a much calmer voice, drawing her attention to my face. She peered up at me, amusement still slightly visible in her darkly coloured honey eyes. "No matter what comes at us, they're no match for me." I grinned. "It's just that I don't feel like saving your sorry ass every five seconds."

"I don't need a Prince to come and save me!" She grabbed the branches from my hands and started working on the fire again.

"Who said anything about wanting to be your prince?" I crouched down next to her, noticing her cheeks flaring up slightly.

"I-" She began. "You-" Her words fell apart before they could even leave her pink lips and I couldn't contain my snicker as I watched her reaction. She looked up at me, her hands forgetting about the branches in an instant as she frowned at me and puffed her cheeks out. "S-shut up!"

I winked at her, effectively making her cheeks warm up even more. I hated to admit it, but I liked teasing her because her reactions were adorably cute.

I chuckled to myself before I started on the forgotten branches, taking in a deep breath and before Lucy could even ask what I was doing, I released my Dragon's Roar and lit the wood up with a big fiery cloud that almost barbecued her toes. Lucy jumped back in surprise, falling on the soft grass with a light thud, her hands behind her for support.

"Y-you can breathe fire?!" She voiced her surprise after she registered what had just happened. With incredible speed, Lucy got on her knees and crawled forward.

"Of course? What'd you think I could do with Dragon Slayer Magic?" I asked. How could she not know this? It wasn't as if breathing fire was something abnormal or something.

"It-" Her words failed her again and for a moment I feared I had scared her. I prepared myself in case she would make a run for it, my body on high alert and ready to- "It's amazing." She spoke the words with such ease, making me blink at her as the light of the fire reflected in her wide eyes.

"What?" I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Sure, people often seemed surprised when I displayed my magic and it always – without fail – caused panic and fear, but never had someone reacted like she had just done.

"Your magic. It's beautiful. I've never seen magic like that before." She crawled even closer to me, making me panic. I had no idea how to react to this at all. "You made magical fire! I've only seen normal fire before so this is truly amazing!"

"Y-you think Dragon Slayer Magic is beautiful?" This one was definitely weird, I was now sure of it as I stared at her still mesmerized face.

"Of course-" She answered, but I didn't register the rest of her sentence, my attention now shifting to something more pressing. The wind had suddenly changed, pushing a scent past my nose which made me instantly tense up. I jerked my head to the side, following the scent and slowly rose to my feet.

Lucy had noticed the distress, getting to her feet as well as she spoke worriedly in a hushed voice. "What's wrong? Is it my father?"

"No, this is much worse." I closed my eyes, the tension draining from my body as I stared at the ground. My mind was in turmoil and I didn't even react when they surrounded us from all sides.

* * *

Natsu just stood there, eyebrows knotted together and confusion flashing through his eyes when he looked into mine. I had stepped closer to him the moment those three had surrounded us, my instinct telling me to stay by his side.

I looked the three men over, eyes darting from one opponent to another as I tried to watch their movements. I didn't quite know what Natsu's deal was, but he was no help to me at the moment.

My mind wandered back to Wendy, the image of the small girl standing her ground to those thugs flashed before my eyes. I glanced back at Natsu, who still had this absent look on his face.

I swallowed hard, pushing the lump away that had formed in my throat so I could speak with a strong and calm voice. "It's okay, Natsu." I stepped in front of him, back straight and confidence dripping off of me. "I've got this." I'll slay my own dragons.

A chuckle resounded from behind Natsu, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I didn't turn, however, afraid to divert my eyes from the fierce looking man in front of me. His red eyes looked me over, making my resolve crumble down at an instant. Without thinking I grabbed Natsu's wrist to keep myself grounded.

The man in front of me lowered his eyes to look at where my fingers were digging into Natsu's skin, a grin creeping up his face. "Ghihi, how interesting." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, but I didn't even have time to contemplate his words or his actions because the other man who had circled around and had just come into my peripheral view suddenly lunged at me.

I turned my head, vision blurred by a white puff of smoke and my body immediately relaxed upon seeing Loke appear. He blocked the punch with ease and pushed the maroon haired man back.

"Finish her off," The third man said as he crossed his arms lazily over his chest. "I don't have time for this."

It took me a second to glance at Natsu and assess the situation. He seemed chocked, but other than that, he didn't move, mind still in turmoil over something. It took me another second to let go of Natsu's wrist, reach down under my dress and grab one of my Gate Keys that I held on the belt on my hip.

"Open the Gate of the Twins!" I called. "Gemini!" The spirit appeared in a puff of smoke, wearing the pink tank top and black miniskirt I usually wore. "Adapt!" I yelled as I realised Gemini wasn't wearing the same clothing as me, making it much easier for those thugs to know who the real me is.

"I can hear you~" A whisper reached my ears and I froze, a shiver running down my spine.

As I was trying to locate the origin of that voice, a giant purple snake shot out from the bushes and lunged at me and Gemini from the side. Loke jumped in between us, his grunts reaching my ears before my brain even registered what had happened. Loke didn't stand a chance against the vile creature, fangs digging deeply into his neck as he choked out an apology before he disappeared.

Fear wracked my body and I couldn't stop myself from calling out to Natsu to see if he was still okay. I turned to look at him when he didn't answer my plea, but I was met with black eyes staring into mine. For a second I thought they were Natsu's dark eyes, but these eyes held so much resentment that I quickly discarded the thought.

"How ironic. You're worried about that boy even though he got you into this mess?" His dark purple eyes watched in amusement as I shifted my gaze to look at Natsu. Before I even realised it, that giant snake had begun to wrap itself around me and Gemini, trapping us with our backs against each other.

"What're you talking about?" Gemini asked, but the snake charmer didn't avert his dangerous eyes from mine.

* * *

"Let go of me!" I yelled as I struggled against Laxus' grip when he pushed me down and locked my hand against my back.

Lucy's eyes met mine, both fear and worry reflecting in her brown orbs.

"Now," Her gaze was pulled back to Cobra's. "which one of you is the real one?" He tilted his head and the snake circled up their bodies until it came face-to-face with one of them. "Let's try this one." Cobra glanced at me, a smirk appearing on his face before Cubellios attacked.

"Don't kill her!" I yelled frantically, fearing I had reacted too late.

A scream could be heard as the snake drove her poisonous fangs into the flesh of Lucy's neck.

"Hmm, I guess you bit the wrong one, Cubellios." Cobra laughed and as the snake loosened its grip on them, Lucy's spirit disappeared just before her limp body would've fallen to the ground.

How bloodcurdling it was to hear that scream, the one that sounded so much like the real Lucy's. It made my heart stop for several moments. The snake released Lucy and she slumped to her knees. "Laxus! Let go of me!" I yelled and surprisingly he released me, allowing me to get through. The energy in my own body seemed to be drained as well, my heart racing and my body still slightly trembling as I scrambled to my feet in a hurry.

I ran to her, shielding her from Cobra who was advancing on her ever so slowly as if he was stalking a prey. "Enough!" I didn't care what they'd think. I had been frozen by fear when they had appeared, scared that they'd know how much this girl had grown on me in the short period of time I had gotten to know her.

Things were different now.

I didn't care if they found out. I didn't care if they'd punish me. Because I'd betray my brothers over and over again if that meant she was safe. I glanced at her miserable form, a pang of guilt shooting through my body.

I cursed myself for reacting so slowly. She nearly had to die for me to realize how important she was to me. I turned back to Cobra, anger taking over as I saw Cubellios slithering around his feet.

"What if that thing had bitten her?!" Cubellios flinched back a bit when she heard the anger in my voice. "She would've been dead in mere seconds!"

"Of course I knew who the real one was." Cobra smiled, making my blood boil. "Or maybe she just got lucky, who knows." I gritted my teeth, trying hard to keep my anger under control.

"What's gotten into you, Salamander? Isn't this fun?" Laxus laughed, elbow now resting on Gajeel's shoulder.

"Will you come quietly or do you want to continue this one-sided fight?" Cobra asked as his gaze met Lucy's.

I sighed, relieved the fight lust in Cobra's voice had somewhat dissipated. "Of course she won't fight you. She's not stu-" My words got cut off as Lucy spoke.

"No! I'll fight you! I'm not giving up! Not yet!" My eyes widened as I saw her getting back on her trembling feet. Gajeel snickered at that and Laxus slightly raised his eyebrows at her words, impressed by her courage. "I won't surrender to the likes of you!" I wasn't impressed at all. Her stubbornness would be the death of her. It made me want to knock some sense into her.

She raised her hand, Gate Key ready to strike.

"Alright. Cubellios." The snake suddenly attacked, passing me with such speed and power as she drove her poisonous fangs in Lucy's small wrist.

The key she was holding turned black and she grabbed her wrist with her left hand, trying to stop the bleeding. Her eyes glazed over and I knew her sight was getting blurry, something I had experienced myself several times during a sparring match with the snake. Next, her head would start to spin, affecting her balance. Knowing this, I reached out for her just in time before she'd hit the ground.

"Don't move, Lucy." I spoke in a soft voice, not wanting to make her headache even worse. She looked up at me with confused eyes.

"I wonder," Gajeel began. "do we have to congratulate you for capturing her, or do we have to punish you for not finishing your mission?"

I froze, afraid Gajeel would say too much and Lucy would find out. I glanced back down, somehow relieved the darkness had already pulled her to sleep. Something inside me ached for her, knowing she was now trapped in a place with no light, no sound, no air. It was slowly suffocating her and it made my heart throb in ways it had never before.

She needed to see Wendy right away, there was no more time to waste.

I picked her up, her limp body as light as a feather in my strong arms. I pulled her closer to calm myself down, her faint heartbeat reminding me she was still alive.

* * *

' _I knew for certain that I heard voices just now, but everything was black. Not just dark, but pitch black, like a night sky without stars. What was happening to me? Was I dead? Mom, was I going to see you again? No. Of course not. Who was I kidding. After the sin I committed, I'd never reach heaven…'_

"She's awakening!" A familiar female voice yelled, giving my consciousness something to hold on to.

I slowly opened my eyes, but instantly squeezed them back shut as the light pierced through my sensitive eyes and effectively gave me a headache.

"Are you alright? It took me a while, but I'm sure all of the poison is out of your system." That voice spoke again.

I turned my head to the right, facing the young girl that came into view when I slowly opened my eyes again. I stared at Wendy for a moment, shocked to see her brown eyes staring down at me.

"Wendy…"

"Hi, miss Heartfilia." She smiled, her hand squeezing mine ever so slightly.

I smiled at her choice of words. "Lucy. Call me Lucy." I smiled back weakly. My eyes left hers and took the time to glance around. "Where am I?" I asked, trying to sit up, but my body protested heavily.

"You're at our guild, but you mustn't get up! You're still too weak!" At the mentioning of her guild, I panicked, automatically reaching for the keys at my hip to calm me down. Their absence made me panic even more, though I tried not to let it show.

"M-my spirits- What happened to them?" I asked, placing my hand back next to my body.

"They're fine. You won't be able to summon them for a while, though. It's very important that you won't summon them! Got that?! If you do in this state, you could die!" Wendy used her finger to emphasize the importance of her stern words, making sure I understood.

I nodded my head and she flashed me a grin, which made me think about her brother. Natsu…

Suddenly, the events that had occurred came rushing back into my memories, making my whole body shake with emotion. I felt both fear and anger, but Wendy did not give me the chance to act on them.

"You know.." She began, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You're the first Celestial Spirit Mage I ever met." Wendy said shyly.

"R-really?" I voiced my surprise, though the enthusiasm I had intended to show was dulled by the uneasiness I felt inside my bones.

"Oh! You must be starving! I'll get you some food! Just wait here!" Wendy moved so fast, I could barely follow her as she hurried out the room.

Panic instantly took over, knowing full well that Wendy wouldn't only come back with food.

I tried to get up, but my body protested in more ways than one. The impulses that should have moved my limbs failed and I stumbled off the bed, trying my hardest to stay on my weak legs. I grabbed my keys and wobbled to the door, not even taking the time to search for my clothes. I opened the door, nearly tripping over my feet as I entered the hallway. A chill wind blew past my bare legs, making a shiver run up my spine. I was dressed in a bathrobe, but the urge to get out of here overrode every other concern I had.

Natsu.

I didn't want to see him. I couldn't. Not after what he had done to me. Not after he betrayed me like th-

"Lucy!" His voice made me stop dead in my tracks, my stomach twisting and churning. I didn't turn around, afraid that seeing his face would make the threatening bile I felt come up.

"What the hell are you doing!? Get back to the bed!" He ordered, settling my upset stomach in an instant. I balled my fists, the blood in my veins boiling with anger, the sickness I had felt before now replaced with fury.

He grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to face him, but I slapped his hand away with as much hostility I could muster. "Don't touch me!" I yelled, the look in my eyes making him understand how angry I was.

"Not so loud, Lucy!" He hissed at me as if I was some kind of pet he could shush. "Keep your voice down!"

He stepped closer to me, but the attempt to calm me down only made me angrier. I reacted in an instant, the fury I felt coursing through my veins forcing my body to obey my straining commands.

"Whoa, Lu-" He pulled his hands back, putting them up in defence when I pointed my Gate Key at him.

"Open the Ga-" Golden light engulfed me, a strong and steady hand pushing down the Key I had ready to strike. Loke stepped out of the Gate, the white smoke dissipating instantly when he turned his harsh gaze at me.

I took a trembling step back, the look in his eyes making guilt shoot through me.

"Lucy," His eyes softened when he saw my hesitation. "didn't you pay attention to what that little girl said? If you use your keys now, you could run out of magic and die." He gently wrapped his fingers around my wrist, my eyes flashing up to meet his.

My eyes involuntarily wandered to Natsu's, making me pull my hand back from Loke's touch.

"I don't care!" I yelled. "I won't just sit here like a bird in a cage! I just got my freedom back and I'd rather die than get locked up again!" My hand had already reached for another Gate Key, preparing myself to fight my way out of here.

Natsu spoke up next, his hands still up as to show me he was harmless while he took cautiously slow steps towards me. He treated me like a cornered animal, waiting for my fight or flight response to kick in.

"You really rather die than stay with me?" He asked, the shock in his voice masking something I couldn't quite trace.

"You kidnapped me! You lied to me! I thought you were actually a very nice guy, but then you did this to me! Hell, I even trusted you! How cruel can you get! When I first met you, I thought you were different from everyone I've grown up around, but you're just the same!" I didn't want to tell him all this, but the words kept flowing, the river of feelings set free when the dam broke. "You're the worst, Natsu- If that's even your real name!"

My body was visibly shaking by now, my anger being the only thing that kept me from falling apart.

"How amusing," The unknown voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "never thought a rich brat dared to speak like that."

I turned around, my eyes instantly connecting to emerald-blue ones before I glanced at the other darker pair of eyes.

"You're got spunk." The blond guy flashed me a boyish smile. "I like that."

"Great." Natsu voiced his thoughts. "They heard you…" The annoyance in his voice was unmistakable, but I didn't care what he felt or thought. He could rot in hell for all I cared.

"What d'ya say?" Arrogance rang in his voice when he spoke to me. "Just one night. It could be fun." He straightened his back, crossing his arms across his semi-bare chest as he winked at me.

"I'm not that low." I countered, averting my eyes to look at the guy's companion.

"What?!" The guy didn't take my rejection very well, the venom in his voice almost making me regret my answer. Loke pushed me behind him as he caught on to the hostility as well.

"Sting, back off." The guy shot Natsu a glare. He wanted to say something, but refrained from doing so. Natsu's voice was calm and it made the tension lift instantly. The guy glanced back at me for a split second, our eyes connecting for a moment before he and his companion took a few steps back and turned to leave.

My vision had become blurry, my eyes trying to focus on the guy's retreating back, but my body failed me. My knees threatened to give in on me and I felt my chest push down on my lungs, cutting off the air I was suddenly desperate for. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I reached out, my fingers gripping the black fabric of Loke suit. "L-loke-" I could only hope he heard me, my voice reduced to a mere whisper now.

"Luc..." I heard him call out to me before I felt my control slip and the darkness I had come to fear encompassed me once again.

…

I blinked my eyes open, trying to focus my vision. I didn't know how long I had been out for, but my head felt heavy and painful as I tried to think about it. I looked around to see if I recognised my surroundings, but found myself disappointed when I spotted Natsu walking in front of us.

"Don't think I approve of her staying here." Loke's voice rang out, making my gaze wander up to look at his face. He looked down at me, a soft smile of relief appearing when our eyes locked.

"I don't expect you to, but if she even steps one foot out of our gates, she'll be dead in no time." I listened to Natsu's voice, my feelings a mess inside my body. I was so angry with him, but at the same time I also felt something else, though I couldn't quite decide what that feeling was just yet.

"There's no way she could survive." He continued. "In case you haven't noticed, we're a dark guild. The people that live around here would gladly have some fun with someone like her."

He motioned his head to Loke when he opened a door for us. His eyes wandered down to look into mine, but I quickly looked away, glancing ahead at the room Loke was walking into.

"How come you're actually here?" Natsu asked Loke as he placed me on one of the four beds in the corner. "I thought-"

Loke cut him off, his voice withheld of any emotion as he talked to my kidnapper. "I can use my own magic. Me being here doesn't interfere with her life, but I can't stay for very long." Their eyes met and I could feel the tension build up between them. I reached out for Loke's hand, trying to calm him down with my touch. He looked back down at me, his eyes softening immediately.

He looked troubled. I know he didn't want to leave me here unprotected, but I could already see his form falling apart. Guilt shot through me when he gave me a sad smile. There had been a time when he could stay on earth for years, but after I obtained all twelve Zodiac Keys, his own magic was reduced so that mine could grow. I was the reason why he was so worried right now and it made my heart throb painfully.

"Lucy, I'll be back. Don't worry, you're safe here for now." Loke said as he placed a kiss on my forehead and disappeared.

"No, wai-" My reaction was too slow. I wanted to pull him into a hug, forcing him to stay longer. I felt my stomach twist again, feeling too vulnerable and exposed. "Don't leave me alone with this guy…" My voice was soft as I talked to Loke who was no longer in this world, his Key reacting with a light glow.

Natsu let out a sigh as he took in my whispered words. "You kno-"

"Don't talk to me." I didn't want to hear his excuses. Nothing he'd say could make this any better anyway. I lay down, pulling the covers over me and turned my back to him.

"I saved your life." His voice was soft, painfully uncheerful.

I turned around at this. "So what? You want me to get on my knees and kiss your feet for saving my miserable life?!" I tried not to lose my cool, but the anger in my voice betrayed me. He made my blood boil. Did he really think I'd just be ok with how he treated me? With how he played me? No. Never again would Natsu Dragneel get to me.

"N-no!" He was definitely taken aback by the venom in my voice. "That's not what I meant!"

"Then what is it?! Tell me, why'd you save me? Was it because I warmed your heart? Or maybe you felt sorry for me?" He opened his mouth, words ready to defend himself, but I didn't let him. I would never give him the chance again to manipulate me. "No. we both know it wasn't about that. You didn't care what kind of person I was and you only got interested in me when you found out who I was. So how much do you want? A million Jewels? Ten? What am I worth to you?"

"Lu-"

"Don't!" I cut him off, the warning crystal clear when my fierce eyes locked with his. "say my name!"

"You've got this all wrong." He tried to stay calm, but I could hear the tremble in his voice. Was he trying to hold back his anger?

"Then tell me what I've got wrong because I don't believe you saved me for any other reason than a selfish one!" My heart hammered away in my chest, the emotions draining my energy to the point where I was afraid my heart would give out.

"I got orders to kill you, okay!" I hadn't expected that and I suddenly felt empty, the emotional strain taking its toll on me.

"Why didn't you?" I caught myself asking, my voice producing the words without my permission.

"When we first met," He paused, stepping closer to me. I didn't want him anywhere near me, but my body just couldn't react anymore. "I didn't know you were my target." Natsu let out an uncomfortable laugh and my eyes met his as the words registered in my mind.

What an idiot. I had no other words for it.

"When I found out, though, you called me your friend, even though we had just met." My heart ached at the memory, wishing I had never put him in that category with Levy and my spirits. He was unworthy of that title. "I know it wasn't just some random lie you told your father because you clearly stated that you liked me an-"

"I made a mistake." If it hadn't been for my emotionless voice, he could've mistaken my words for an apology. Luckily, he hadn't.

"Lucy, ple"

"Don't say my name as if we're friends! Don't pretend we are! We're not! Friends don't lie to each other!" My anger had returned tenfold, though I lost all motivation to fight him. I just wanted to be left alone before I'd say something I would regr- "You don't even know what friends are and you're not worth being a friend to somebody." The words left my mouth before I even realized I had said them.

The look in his eyes changed and my heart throbbed painfully at his reaction. Was this what I had wanted? For him to feel as much pain as I was feeling? No, this was never my intention. I was better than this. At least, I thought I was.

"N-" He was already out the door, slamming it behind him with so much force, the walls shook and the lights flickered for a moment.

* * *

 **So, I wanted to end it here, but decided that since I've been absent for so long, you guys deserved a proper apology.**

 **I hope you guys like this little bonus.**

 **Natsu's and Lucy's first encounter**

"Lucy! Get up!"

For a moment, the face of my mom entered my mind, her sweet voice making me smile. Then I realized it wasn't my mom and it wasn't her voice.

I pried my eyes open and was instantly greeted by the blinding morning rays of the sun. I let out a deep sigh before I hid my face beneath the thick blankets, trying to prolong the sweet cosiness my bed provided.

"Now!"

I shivered when the blankets were pulled off of me. My eyes instantly snapped open when my body was rudely awoken by the cold winter morning.

"I won't allow my daughter to be some lazy delinquent! Now get up and make yourself presentable!"

My messy hair was blown back by the force of my door being slammed shut as my father left my room in a hurry.

Great. I wasn't even awake for five minutes and he was at it again. I sighed, digging my nails into my palm so I wouldn't scream out of frustration. Though I guess I couldn't complain because today was the day I would finally find my prince.

Actually, the thought made me sick to my stomach. I had always been a rational girl, even as a child, and I knew life wasn't as pretty as they made me believe in all those stories. No, I knew better. Even then, I was painfully aware of the fact that I was born to live a dragon's life.

It was funny actually. Even my way of thinking exposed me as one of them; the nobility. A normal child – from a normal family, with normal parents and no servants – would've probably compared themselves to a dog or an alley cat, but I compared myself to one of nature's noblest creatures.

Even though I did not care for fancy titles and money, my father had forced the nobilities' way of thinking on me despite my efforts to try and remain true to myself. I wasn't like them, not really, though at times I felt like they were taking a hold on me.

They were desperately trying to change my heart because I was different. Even amongst the nobility I was an outcast, despite being born as the daughter of Jude Heartfilia. My father said I was a disgrace and my mom- Let's just not go there.

The reason why I compared myself to a dragon was because we have a lot in common. I too was being locked in a cage, waiting for someone to need me, like the dragon that's awaiting the knight to slay them and free them from their endless prison.

The truth is, I don't think I deserve to compare myself to a dragon. Those creatures were renowned to be fearless, taking on anything that came at them, without a single trace of fear coursing through their veins. I at least knew myself well enough to know that even though I could be brave, I was not immune to fear.

The sound of singing birds pulled me out of my thoughts, remembering me of what I needed to do. I quickly jumped from my bed and rushed to the bathroom. I put on a pair of black knee-high socks, a red mini skirt and a pink tank top before I dared to look at my messy hair in the mirror. I quickly combed my fingers through my hair to take out the knots and put a ribbon in to make it somewhat presentable before I threw open the doors to my wardrobe. I randomly grabbed a dress and put it on over my other clothes.

The only thing I needed to do now was go to my father so he could complain about the way I looked, and then I was out of here.

I quickly looked myself over in the mirror before I left my room. The hallways were being decorated by a dozen servants, each and every one of them putting in their best effort to please their lord. The sight was just sad. Even though not a single guest would ever set foot in this corridor, father still wanted everything to look perfect. I actually didn't get it. Not once had one of the guests said anything about the decorations, they were just useless. Our house was impressive even without all the superfluous crap.

A smile crept up my lips when I thought about what father would say if he ever heard me utter the word 'crap'. He would definitely get a stroke or something. A few servants gave me weird looks, making me put my blank face back on before further making my way through the corridors in search of my father.

I found him talking – yelling – at some servant for something which was probably insignificant and when my father's attention shifted to me, the servant quickly fled.

"What are you wearing?" And there it was; the famous question. I knew, even when I wore the most expensive looking dresses money could buy, my father would never – ever in his damn life – utter a compliment towards or about me. "You know, never mind. Just get out of my sight." Now that that had been settled, I could finally get out.

I dashed to the gates and didn't stop running until the music of the town filled my ears. It was so cold, I saw my own breath pushing steam through the air as I panted, trying to fill my lungs with oxygen.

Even though the village was so close by, not once in my entire life had I been allowed to come here. Not that it stopped me, I had been visiting this town nearly every day, depending on how busy father was with work.

I was amazed by all the lights and music, but I had no time to stop and admire it all. I had to get rid of these clothes first, or someone could recognized me.

Before I could even reach out to the doorknob to enter the store, someone had already pulled me in.

"Lu-chan! I missed you!" The little blue-haired girl screamed as she clung to my neck, her death grip robbing me of air.

I tapped the girl on the back, hoping she'd release me and I was happy when she did. "It's been almost three days since you last came to see me!" She exclaimed with a pout on her face.

"Yeah I know, Levy, but my dad wouldn't let me out of his sight so I couldn't sneak out. Sorry." I said as I started to take off my dress.

"Really, that's new. Normally your dad doesn't really care what you do." She took my dress and evened out the crooks in my skirt before handing me my jacket.

Even though it sounded harsh, what Levy said was true. My father didn't care what I did. As long as I obeyed his orders everything was fine, but ever since he'd been planning this big party, he was really stressed. He wanted everything to be perfect. He didn't want me to embarrasses him in front of the guests. That was why he was constantly lecturing me on how to walk, talk, breathe and live. I needed to be ready to be sold I guess.

Tonight, my future was going to be decided.

"It's cold outside." Levy's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "If you go out like that, you'll get cold." She elucidated when I gave her a confused look.

"Don't worry about it." I reassured her. "I won't stay long.

"If you say so, Lu-chan." She gave me an uncertain look before she went to the back to hide my dress. I had to say that I was really happy that she looked after me like that.

"I'll come back at around two-thirty 'cause the party starts at three."

"Okay, but be careful today. A lot of your father's guests are in town and it would be troublesome if someone would recognize you."

"Levy, you worry too much." I gave her a wink before I put my hair in a high ponytail. "See, unrecognizable."

She let out a deep sigh before the door closed behind me and I fell to the ground.

"What the-?!" As I looked back, I saw that I tripped over somebody. Seriously, he was even smiling at me! "what're you smiling for! Can't you watch where you're lying?" I couldn't help but be annoyed by this, but as this person didn't seem to respond, my worry took over and I crawled a little closer.

"A- Are you alright?" I asked, but I didn't get a reply.

"Miss! He just fell out of the carriage like that when I opened it. Is he alright?" A charioteer said. "I really need to get to my next customer…" He looked troubled, trying to figure out what to do.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll take care of him." I gave the young charioteer a smile when I stood up and dusted off the dirt on my clothes.

"Thank you so much, Miss!" He bowed. "Oh and he had this with him." He quickly shoved some file into my hands and before I could say thanks, he drove away so fast, it sent sand and dirt flying everywhere.

Great. Now my knees hurt, I was dirty plus I had to take care of this guy. Why did I even suggest it? My eyes wandered back to the boy in front of me and I placed the file next to my feet as I reached out to help him up. "Can you stand?" I asked, but he didn't reply. I struggled trying to get his dead weight to the bench a little further down the street.

I didn't know how I did it, but I managed to get the guy to the park where he was now sitting on a bench in front of me. "Hey are you alright?" I placed my hand on his forehead and was shocked at how burning hot his skin was.

"The hell do you care!" He suddenly snapped at me, making me back up a bit after I quickly pulled my hand back. Well, this guy had a nice way of saying 'Thank you for taking me to this bench instead of leaving me there on the street to die'.

"You don't need to yell at me!" I finally countered when I found my voice.

He huffed at me while looking me over. What was this guy doing? His gaze made me uncomfortable and I was suddenly very aware of myself. At this point, I just wanted to slap him, but then he spoke again.

"You're bleeding."

I was still registering what he was saying. "W-what?" My voice was hoarse.

"Your knee, it's bleeding." He paused for a moment. "You must be a real idiot to fall and not even notice you hurt yourself." He laughed, making a vein pop in my head.

"Who's the idiot?! I didn't have time to worry about my knee since you were laying there in the middle of the freaking road!" I let out as I crossed my arms in front of my chest defensively.

"So what? You should've left me there. It's not my fault you're so clumsy to fall down." I clenched my fists at his attitude. He wasn't even bothering to look at me!

"I fell over you! You're the clumsy one! To just fall on the ground like that!"

"I didn't fall!" He got up, getting in my face, but I held my ground, staring right back at him. "I can't handle transportation very well." I was shocked to see the guy's cheeks redden slightly in embarrassment when he admitted his weakness.

"T-then you shouldn't be riding them." Really, is this guy an idiot? "You should just do like me and walk. It's cheaper, plus it's good for you." He looked at me for a moment, staring me down as his mind was busy trying to figure something out.

"It's not that I had a choice in the matter, y'know. There's somewhere I need to be tonight and if I had walked, I wouldn't have made it."

"Oh so you're in a guild, right?" I remembered the huge 'MISSION' letters on the file he had with him.

"So what if I am?"

His attitude was back, but right now, I didn't really care. Even though he was a jerk, I was jealous. "It must be nice… I wish I could join a guild... You must have a lot of friends. You wouldn't believe what I'd give to be as free as you are…" I glanced at him to see his reaction and it made me chuckle. He was looking at me as if I was delusional. His expression quickly changed into panic, however, when he seemed to remember something and he frantically started to look around.

"Are you looking for this?" I held out the file for him. "Did you read it?!" He quickly snatched it from my fingers.

"N-no," I was a bit startled by his reaction, but I managed to compose myself. "I didn't. It's none of my business."

"You'd better not be lying..." He eyed me with suspicious eyes.

"What? You'd have to kill me if I did?" I joked, but an awkward silence followed after, making me a bit uncomfortable.

"It's just very important and I can't screw this one up." He finally said, breaking the silence.

"You'll do fine." I gave him a smile, making him look back at me confusedly. "What?"

"I don't understand you. How can you still be nice to me if all I've been doing was yell at you?"

To be honest, I didn't know. This was the first time that I've had a 'normal' conversation with someone. People wouldn't usually dare speak their mind to me, but this person didn't know me, obviously.

"I like you."

I guess I was just glad that I was being treated as any other person.

"What?"

"N-no! Don't get me wrong!" I felt my face heat up. "I mean you're a nice… Well, not a _nice_ guy, but you're the first one to treat me like a normal person." He must have thought it was stupid. Even though I was so confident just now, I couldn't look him in the eyes. My hands were nervously playing with the hem of my skirt, waiting for him to laugh.

"Aren't you a normal person then?" He asked, making me stop my nervous administrations.

"S-sort of…, but I don't get treated that way." I looked up at him, noticing the darkness of his eyes.

"Then you should tell those people how you want them to treat you!" I could tell by the volume of his voice that he was annoyed with me. "If you want something, you should just make sure you get it."

"It's not that simple." I couldn't help but smile.

"Then you shouldn't complicate things." It was amazing how simple this guy was – like everything in his world was as simple as black and white.

"What's your name?" He seemed a bit taken aback by my question.

"Natsu."

"I'm-" I couldn't even finish my sentence because the bells of the church were ringing loudly, striking three 'o clock. I suddenly realized that it was already late and I instantly shot up from my seat. "God! He's going to kill me if I'm late! I'm so sorry, but I need to go!" I quickly turned around, ready to head to Levy's to change. "See you around, Natsu!" I waved goodbye before I ran into the crowd.

* * *

 **Sweeties, I hoped you enjoyed the read!**

 **I didn't check if any of you were following my other stories about Fairy Tail, but if you are, you may have noticed I've become a bit more active again.**

 **Two weeks ago, I updated my latest story** _ **Changing Ends**_ **and last week I finally – after a pause of exactly 3 years, 6 months and 20 days – updated** _ **Yesterday's History**_ **. I can't apologize enough to those who have been waiting for an update on YH!**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that – and I won't be making any promises – I'm trying to force myself to upload on a regular basis from now on. Next one to be updated is** _ **The Bonds that Bind**_ **OR** _ **A Princess' Dragon Tale**_ **! I'll try to have a chapter of one of those two stories ready by next week, but again, I'm not making any promises!**

 **Please let me know what you think about this chapter, any feedback is more than welcome ;)**

 **Love you guys,**

 **~Angel xxx**


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